The Corner Drugstore

It was a long upward hill to reach the top of the street but each step brought me closer to the Corner Drugstore. The change jingled in my pocket, and my thoughts were focused on the goodies to be had for a few pennies. Licorice, Mary Jane’s, Good and Plenty, Root Beer Barrels, wax lips, tutee fruits, were the images that danced in my head. When I was really good I might have more than a few pennies and the ultimate treat was a Coffee Cabinet made with Eclipse syrup, (manufactured in good old R.I.). That is what they called rich creamy milkshakes, twirled in a stainless steel over sized receptacle that was spun, and twirled until the ice cream, milk and syrup were married. They would pour it from that glistening container into a tall, pear shaped glass, and there was lots of foam at the top. There was always some left in the canister, so you could top off your drink a second time. Was that the creamiest, most flavorful taste that ever touched your mouth, or was it the novelty of new and exciting experience? All I know is that the thought of those treats kept my feet going at a quick pace.  I was sent to the store to get something needed for the family and my reward was to keep the change. I was very prudent and careful about spending because my bonus would be spent on my revered taste buds. Those taste buds have played a very important role in my life as I have great, if not too much, appreciation for good food.

 Now that drugstore had all sorts of Sundry goods to stock up on. The man behind the soda fountain, yes it was a soda fountain, was a wrinkled up old man, short of stature, who has unnaturally black hair surrounded his aged face. I would strike up a conversation as he attended to my order and one day he told me I had the gift of gab. I’m not sure being a garrulous person is a gift but I did like to know people and hear their ‘stories’ all my life.

If I sat up on the stool my feet did not reach the bottom rung and the counter would sport an assortment of people eating grilled cheese sandwiches or drinking coffee with a doughnut. . I could not sip my drink from a straw because it was so thick. I savored each swallow until I heard the gurgle of an empty glass. Totally satisfied I slipped off the stool, took my order and started the journey home. Fortunately the return trip was all downhill which is easier on a full stomach. I can honestly say I was always the first to volunteer to make the trips to the corner drugstore and now dear siblings, you know why.